While minor oil spills
are commonly dealt with at a local level, larger spills require a more
coordinated response, which may be organised at a national, regional or
state level depending on the size of the spill and the country involved.
International coordination and/or assistance may be required. (W468.Jan2003.w1)

For effective response,
particularly with larger spills, it is important that lines of
communication are set up and can be activated promptly as required and
that there is an organised, pre-arranged command structure.

Oil spill response is complex, requiring assessment of the
situation, consideration of potential impacts, and responses such as
salvage, oil cleanup at sea and on-shore clean-up. (W468.Jan2003.w1)

Oiled wildlife response, while only a small part of overall oil spill
response, is also complex, and involves consideration of potential impacts
on oiled wildlife, assessment of oiled populations, and response
activities varying from hazing and/or proactive capture (applicable only
in certain circumstances) to search, collection, assessment and triage,
stabilisation, cleaning, rehabilitation, release and post-release
monitoring of oiled animals. (B363.Intro.w21,
D183.w6)

Even the best contingency plan cannot operate if coordination and
cooperation between groups/organisations involved in oiled wildlife
response breaks down. (D214.2.w2)

Individual oiled casualties, or small numbers of casualties, can
generally be cared for at a local level if trained personnel are
available: many general wildlife
rehabilitation facilities are able to clean the occasional oiled bird (or
other animal) presented to them. (D28,
D183.w9) Responding to a spill involving tens,
hundreds or thousands of oiled wildlife casualties requires a response of
a different magnitude and structure. While the same practical hands-on
techniques may be used to clean each of a thousand birds as are used to
clean one bird, for maximum effectiveness large responses require:

Experience from several large oiled wildlife responses has shown that
where the command and communication structure has been absent, or not
fully functional, response has been less efficient and less effective,
with a smaller percentage of casualties cleaned, rehabilitated and
released. Conversely, a good communications network can enhance the
response. (D183.w9,
D219, D220)

Note: it is important to remember that the response to oiled wildlife is only one part of oil spill response and
should be organised within the overall oil spill response command structure.
(P14.7.w51)

Oil spills should be reported to the
appropriate authorities: in the UK to the appropriate HM
Coastguard station for spills on or around the coast and to the Environment Agency (0800
807060) for inland spills, in the USA to the National Response Center (1-800-
424-8802).

"The ICS is a standardized on-scene emergency management system
designed to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the
complexity and demands of an incident without being hindered by
jurisdictional boundaries." (D160.1.w1)

The Incident
Control System (ICS) was originally developed for fighting forest fires but is useful for a
variety of emergency responses, including oil spill response. (W572.May05.w1).
Several countries use the ICS for oil spill response; it is a formal structure which can improve overall
efficiency of operation management in
emergencies,
particularly during very large scale events and minimise the risk of
failure to meet the objectives of a response operation. (B363.App1.w14)

The ICS uses the principle of "management by objective":
breaking down the desired outcome into individual objectives required to
meet this desired outcome so that everyone involved understands what is to
be achieved and nothing is overlooked. (B363.App1.w14)

The ICS also uses the principle of "span of control",
indicating the number of groups or individuals reporting to each position
(individual) within the ICS structure, and gives a limit of three to seven
(W572.May05.w1)
usually five (B363.App1.w14)
individuals or groups to be managed by any one individual. (B363.App1.w14)

The ICS is flexible and adaptable, contracting or expanding as
required for the scale of the incident: a small incident may require
only an Incident Commander, while in larger events separate sections
are set up under the Incident Commander. (D213.w9,
W572.May05.w1)

It is important to recognise that the success of ICS/UC depends on
its being planned for and exercised in advance of an actual emergency
incident. (D213.w9)

Incident Command (Control) sets the objectives and priorities for
the response and has overall responsibility. (W572.May05.w1)
The Incident Commander or Incident Controller is therefore in control of the overall
incident response, defining the objectives of the response plan, approving
and authorising activation of the response plan and continually reviewing
the response plan to ensure that it meets the response objectives. Duties
include assessing of the incident, conducting briefings for team
members (based on new information, and briefing of new staff), liaison
with supporting personnel, allocation of tasks, ensuring the safety of all
personnel, reporting to responsible agencies and organisations, managing
the media and maintaining a log of events. (D213.2.w2,
B363.App1.w14)

Command staff officers responsible directly to the Incident
Controller include those responsible for safety, liaison
and information. (D213.2.w2,
W572.May05.w1)

The Safety Officer is responsible for developing and
recommending to the Incident Commander or Unified Command (see
below) measures for assuring the health and safety of personnel,
and for anticipating situations which may be hazardous, developing
site safety plans, reviewing the Incident Action Plan for any
safety implications, and providing complete, specific, accurate
and timely assessment of hazards and control measures required. (D213.2.w2)

The Liaison Officer serves as the point of contact to
assist and coordinate activities between the IC/UC and any
appropriate agencies or groups (e.g. local governmental
officials). (D213.2.w2)

The Information Officer develops and releases information
about the incident to the media, incident personnel and other
appropriate agencies and organisations. (D213.2.w2)

N.B. All activities remain the responsibility of the Incident
Commander until they are assigned to another individual. (D213.2.w2)

Planning is the section which develops the action plan by which
the objectives of the response will be met, as well as collecting and
evaluating information, tracking resource status and documenting the
response effort. (W572.May05.w1)
The Planning Officer is responsible for collecting, evaluating
and disseminating information about the incident and may be supported by a
situation officer looking at the current situation and likely future (next
six, 12, 24 hours) events (e.g. changing weather, potential hazards,
external considerations, status of allocated resources), with an analysis
of the possible consequences of these for the response. Additionally the
planning Officer is responsible for preparation of the Response Plans.
Media support is generally arranged by the Planning Officer via a Media
Liaison Officer.

Logistics provides the support (resources, other services) to
meet the needs of the incident. (W572.May05.w1).
The Logistics Officer is responsible for coordination of the
supply of facilities, services and equipment. This section is generally
divided into human resources, supply, communications and safety. (B363.App1.w14)

Operations is the section which carries out the tactical
operations of the action plan, develops the tactical objectives and
organisation and directs all the resources. (W572.May05.w1)
The Operations Officer is responsible for the direct response to
the incident, including the separate functions of oil clean up and
wildlife response, each of these being managed by individual coordinators.
(B363.App1.w14)

Finance/Administration in the section monitoring the costs of
the incident and includes accounting, procurement, time recording and cost
analysis. (W572.May05.w1)
The Finance & Administration Officer is responsible for the
administrative support required for the functioning of the ICS and may be
supported by a finance officer and various general administrative
assistants. On the finance side, all the costs associated with the
response need to be tracked including records of times worked, accounts for
purchases, compensation claims, insurance claims etc. The general
administrative support includes telephone answering, typing, photocopying,
record keeping etc. (B363.App1.w14)

Unified Command (UC)

The Unified Command (UC) structure is a system allowing for the
overall command (Incident Commander) position to be shared among several
agencies or organisations where the event involves shared jurisdiction. (W572.May05.w1)

The UC may be used where an event crosses geographical boundaries,
levels of government (e.g. local versus national), functional
responsibilities and/or statutory responsibilities. (D213.2.w2)

The members of the UC will vary depending on the specific incident.
(D213.2.w2)

Members of the UC need to possess response decision-making
authority. (D213.w9)

Members of the UC have responsibility to the UC and also to their
respective agencies or organisations. (D213.2.w2)

The UC is formed to command an incident response and members of the
UC should develop a synergy based on the different capabilities of
each member of the UC, shared understanding of the incident situation,
and agreement on common response objectives. (D213.2.w2)

In the UK, coastal oil
spill response is coordinated by the Counter Pollution and Response (CPR) Branch of the
Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). This was formed in 1998 from the
Coastguard Agency’s Marine Pollution Control Unit (MPCU), following the
merger between The Coastguard Agency and Marine Safety Agency. (W468.Jan2003.w1)

Spills on or around the coast (i.e. at sea),
or a risk of significant pollution, should be
reported to the appropriate HM Coastguard station. (D134)
The Coastguard stations
can be contacted directly but if a member of the public does not have such
contact details available, they can telephone 999 and ask for the
Coastguard.

Incidents occurring within a harbour should be
reported to the harbour master, who will then immediately inform HM
Coastguard. (D134)

The following information is taken directly from the MCA Website (W468.Jan2003.w1).

MCA’s CPR is now based on a regional response with central operational, technical and scientific support. A Regional Operation Manager – Counter Pollution and Salvage (ROM-CPS) is based in each region, supported by scientists, mariners, cost recovery specialists and logistics support specialists in the MCA’s headquarters in Southampton.

Response to an Incident

Initial information about an incident is usually reported in the first incident to one of the 18 HM Coastguard (HMCG) stations around the UK by many sources e.g. the vessel in difficulty, passing vessels, observers and the public. HMCG will then instigate search and rescue operations where necessary and this action will hold primacy over any other forms of response. They will also inform the duty ROM-CPS if there is any pollution or threat of pollution i.e. a drifting ship, a grounded ship etc. The ROM-CPS then decides the relevant course of action, instigates the appropriate level of response and alerts the relevant people in CPR. In the event of a major incident, the MCA may activate the Marine Emergency Information Room (MEIR) in Southampton prior to the deployment of people and equipment to the scene. Three main control centres may be set up :

A Salvage Control Unit (SCU) – Led by the Secretary of State’s Representative for Marine Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), who oversees and approves any salvage operation and can intervene if appropriate.

A Marine Response Centre (MRC) – Led by the MCA to co-ordinate all at-sea counter pollution and clean-up operations.

A Shoreline Response Centre (SRC) – Led by the Local Authority with technical support from the MCA. This centre co-ordinates the shoreline clean-up operations.

In built flexibility in the NCP, means that not all of these response cells will need to be set up in every incident. The response will be dictated by the scale and type of incident.

An Environment Group may also be set up at the very early stages of an incident, when a real threat to the marine and coastal environment is considered likely. This group provides environmental advice to all three control units. The Environment Group is made up of representatives of the relevant statutory nature conservation body, environmental regulator and Government fisheries department.

In the UK, spills are categorised by the internationally adopted Tier system :

TIER ONE : A small operational spill employing local resources during any clean-up.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATOR – Takes the lead in responding to pollution from land based sources.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES / Environment and Heritage Service (in Northern Ireland) - Have accepted the non-statutory responsibility for shoreline clean-up.

The contingency plans of all involved organisations, whether national, regional or local, should be compatible and be linked where appropriate.

One of the major additions to this command and control procedure post Lord Donaldson
[1] is the new Salvage Control Unit. This Unit is led by SOSREP who oversees, controls and if necessary, intervenes in salvage operations where there is a risk of significant pollution. SOSREP works with a very small team of advisors to encourage salvage contracts and requires that the salvor prepares a salvage plan for agreement by SOSREP prior to any action taking place. SOSREP formally intervenes if the salvor does not act in the public interest, and tacit approval is assumed if he takes no action.

1Lord Donaldson wrote a Review of Salvage and
Intervention and their Command and Control, following the grounding of the
Sea Empress in 1996. (D134,
W468.Dec05.w1)

Inland oil spills

For inland spills, the Environment Agency is
the lead agency and may be contacted to be informed about a spill using
their 24-hour Emergency Hotline number: 0800 807060.

If a spill is on a canal, British Waterways also have a 24-hour
emergency number: 0800 47 999 47.

The Thames Oil
Spill Clearance Association (TOSCA) was formed in 1992 by the Port of London Authority
(PLA), together with members of the oil industry on the Thames.
It is funded by a charge on oil entering or leaving the port. The objective of TOSCA is "to provide a united response to oil
spills occurring in the tidal Thames." TOSCA has a detailed plan for response to a Tier 1 or 2 oil spill, (up
to 50 tonnes) occurring anywhere in the 43 miles between Tower Bridge and
Sea Reach No. 1 Buoy near Shoeburyness. (D165,
W553.Feb05.w1)

Spills on the Tidal Thames should be reported to the
Port of London Authority, directly or by dialling 999 and asking for the
River Police.

Non-tidal Thames and other waters

For the Thames river upstream of Teddington Lock (i.e. in the non-tidal
Thames), and for other waters including rivers, streams, lakes and canals,
the Environment Agency
is the lead agency and oil spills should be reported to the Environment Agency on their 24-hour
Emergency Hotline number: 0800 807060.

For a spill on a canal in
London, during office hours (9 am to 5.30 pm) then, in addition to
contacting the Environment Agency, the London office of British Waterways
would appreciate being contacted [see the British Waterways
page for the contact number].

In any maritime
oil spill event which requires a regional or national response, an
Environment Group is set up. (D134)

The Environment Group is made up of representatives of the relevant statutory nature conservation body, environmental regulator and Government fisheries
department,
together with a representative from MCA. (D134,
W468.Jan2003.w1)

The Environment Group provides environmental advice to the various
response units, e.g. the Salvage Control Unit, the Marine Response
Centre and the Shoreline Response Centre. Environmental Liaison
officers are nominated by the Chair of the Environment Group to each
of the response units. (D134)

One of the
purposes of the Environment Group is "To facilitate welfare,
rehabilitation or humane disposal of wildlife casualties by recognised
animal welfare organisations." (D189)

Key tasks for the Environment Group include assessment of environmental priorities at risk from pollutant and from clean-up
activity and establishment of Environment Group priorities for resource protection and pollution clean-up.
(D189)

It is important
that procedures are in place for oiled wildlife responders to be informed
about a spill by industry or responsible authorities, as appropriate. (D183.w9)

Contact numbers for oiled wildlife response personnel should be part
of general oil response contingency plans, and regularly tested in oil
spill training exercises. (D183.w9)

A system should be in place for notification of oiled wildlife
responders at the national and international level. (D220)

There should be direct and regular exchange of information between
oiled wildlife responders and the rest of the oil spill response. (D219)

An agreement should be drawn up, as part of contingency planning,
ensuring that those responsible for oiled wildlife response will be
regularly updated with information about the oil spill incident as a
whole. (D183.w9)

A liaison officer should be nominated to liaise between general oil
spill response command and oiled wildlife response command. (D183.w9)

Oiled wildlife
response can be managed within the general Incident Command Structure
(ICS) described above. (B363.App1.w14)

In oiled wildlife response there is a need for essential decisions to
be made rapidly at a variety of levels, from broad strategy to treatment
options for individual casualties. The importance of the ICS structure, as
described above, is that it:

Ensures that each aspect of the response has someone specifically
responsible for it, so no areas are neglected;

Provides clear chains of command, so that important decisions
affecting the whole response can be made by those with responsibility
for, and understanding of, the overall situation and the needs of the
response as a whole, while decisions about specific aspects of the
response and individual wildlife casualties are handled made by people
with responsibility for and detailed knowledge of the progress of the
response in those specific areas;

Provides clear routes of communication, so that policy decisions can
be transmitted down the command structure and needs (e.g. for
personnel or consumables) can be transmitted up to those able to
provide them, while information on progress can be transmitted in both
directions;

Puts limits on the number of people of groups any one person has to
manage directly, thereby reducing the risk of overload and loss of
communication;

Within oiled wildlife response (the Wildlife Branch of the Operations
Section of the oil spill Incident Command) (D133.App1B,
D160.1.w1),
a command structure is required to ensure that all facets of the response
are properly organised and no areas are neglected. In smaller spills several posts may be amalgamated
but there are requirements to cover the functions of the oiled wildlife
response as set out in Oil Spill Contingency Planning
- Functions of the Oiled Wildlife Response.

A system is required to bring together a team of people from a
variety of organisations, with different skills and experience, and
make the response work. (B363.3.w3,
D219)

Experience from previous spills has shown that lack of
coordination leads to conflicts, problems and a less efficient and
effective oiled wildlife response. (D183.w9,
D219,
D220)

A chain of command, properly organised and followed, ensures that all
appropriate personnel are included in communications and that the response
effort is organised efficiently. (D133.1.w1)

It is important for all personnel to understand that, particularly
in the early stages of an oiled wildlife response, decisions have to
be made quickly, by those in positions of responsibility, without time
for prolonged discussions and debates.

It is also important for
everyone to understand the need for prioritisation of different
response activities and that, particularly in situations involving
large numbers of oiled animals, it may not be possible to respond
equally to all casualties, due to constraints imposed by limited
physical resources, personnel and time. (D159.III.w3,
D160.5.w5, D214.2.w2)

A major advantage of a properly organised ICS is that it allows each
person to do their job and address their responsibilities without
having to worry about whether other facets of the response are being
dealt with: the washroom coordinator should not have to worry about
search and collection, nor should the triage supervisor have to worry
about whether the fish has been ordered and there is a freezer to keep
it in.

One way in which the wildlife response may be organised is described
below (based on B363.App1.w14):

Within the general Incident Command Structure the Wildlife Unit Coordinator is responsible for all
aspects of oiled wildlife response: hazing, proactive capture and rescue,
treatment and rehabilitation. In the larger scheme of oil spill response, the Wildlife Unit Coordinator reports to the Operations
Officer.
(B363.App1.w14)

The Wildlife Unit Coordinator is supported by the Field Operations
Officer, the Rehabilitation Centre Officer and the Release
Officer, each
being responsible for different phases of the oiled wildlife response. (B363.App1.w14)

The Field Operations Officer is responsible for:

Hazing: determining the species and numbers which may be
impacted by the spill; hazing wild animals away from the areas of
potential oil contamination where possible and monitoring the
movements of hazed wildlife.

Proactive capture: initiation of proactive capture operations
for wild animals which may be contaminated.

Collection of oiled wildlife and primary treatment: collection
of live oiled animals and provision of primary treatment;
collection of dead oiled animals and appropriate disposition.

Remote site stabilisation: establishment of any necessary
remote stabilisation centres; stabilisation of live collected wild
animals before transport [if required].

Transportation to the treatment centre: development of
transport systems as required for the geographical location and
wildlife involved; transportation of wild animals as directed by the
Response Plan.

The Rehabilitation Centre Officer is responsible for:

Development of an oiled wildlife response rehabilitation
centre: selecting suitable sites; making them operational
specific to the needs of oiled wildlife response.

Assessment and triage of wildlife: clinical assessment of
all incoming wild animals; triage based on agreed protocols.

Pre-wash care and stabilisation: stabilisation of wild
animals; assessment in line with agreed protocols; selection of
stabilised individuals for washing.

Cleaning and drying: washing and rinsing of wild animals
to remove all contaminants; drying of wild animals as required.

Post-wash care: stabilisation of wild animals after
washing, rinsing and drying; rehabilitation in preparation for
release; selection of individuals for release based on agreed
protocols.

The Release Officer is responsible for:

Wildlife Release: arranging for all wild animals to be
tagged/banded before release; selecting suitable release sites;
making arrangements for release; transportation of wild animals to
the release site(s).

Post-release monitoring: development of a post-release
monitoring programme which will assess survivorship and breeding
success of released, rehabilitated oiled wildlife; instigation of
post-release monitoring programmes; reviewing the effectiveness of
the oiled wildlife response program.

What
is important is not the exact divisions of responsibilities but that all required objectives are covered and are the
responsibility of named officers, and that the structure limits the number
of individuals or groups which the person in each responsible position has
to manage.

Within each section indicated above, further division may be needed.
The extent of such divisions will depend on the size of the
response. (D133.1.w1)

A chain of command, properly organised and followed, ensures that all
appropriate personnel are included in communications and that the response
effort is organised efficiently. (D133.1.w1)
Large scale operations, for optimum response, will generally include the
following aspects, or similar, to maintain optimal function of the
response.

Methods of communication in oiled wildlife response include
large-scale team briefings, information on bulletin boards etc.

Information displayed on a board or wall and visible to all
personnel, provides everyone with an overview of the present
situation, including any bottlenecks, and measures which have been
taken. (D183.w7)

A board, showing totals released for each species, should be
maintained at an appropriate location within the rehabilitation
facility so that all personnel can see it, and updated daily. (B363.Intro.w21)

Where the Incident Command System (or similar) is used, one
important aspect is that, for most information, communication is
passed up and down the chain of command.

This means that, while there may be large-scale team briefings, with
the Wildlife Unit Coordinator addressing as many personnel as possible
at one time, and bulletin boards providing information on the progress
of the response, in general instructions and information will be
passed down the chain of command, while requests and any comments will
be passed up the chain.

Personnel need to
accept the instructions given to them by their immediate supervisor,
not expect the overall coordinator to personally confirm each
instruction.

Requests for personnel, equipment, supplies or changes in
operational activities should pass through the chain of command to
the overall coordinator. (D133.1.w1)

If everyone tries to take their concerns
directly to the overall coordinator, then that coordinator will not
have time to do their job and the overall response - and therefore the
oiled wildlife casualties - will suffer.

Communication and coordination is also required between sections of
the response: for example between those involved in oiled casualty
transport and the centre where cleaning is being carried out. (D183.w6)

Visual identification of supervisors of different sections of the
response may be useful. One method is by the use of coloured armbands.
(B363.3.w3)

Different
rehabilitation and oiled wildlife response organisations will have their
own protocols. In the event of a large spill response in which different
organisations are working together, it is important that protocols are
accepted and adhered to.

Agreed protocols should be written down and displayed in appropriate
locations.

Local media are essential in informing the public about the ways in which
they can help (e.g. providing supplies and funding, volunteering as
appropriate, and about what
they should not do (e.g. trying to pick up and care for oiled wild
animals). (D60.8.w8,
D214.3.w3,
W273.Aug03.oil1)

Media can be problematic if their requests for material (film of bird
capture, cleaning etc.) interferes with the care of the oiled animals.
It is preferable to get agreement for arrangements which will meet
television needs while minimising interference with oiled wildlife
rescue and care. (D214.3.w3)

It is important that media access to the response facility and to
response personnel should be controlled to minimise disturbance to the
oiled animals and disruption to the rehabilitation process. (P14.5.w13)

It may be necessary to have one person nominated to act as media
liaison. (P14.5.w13)

Frequent press conferences should be held to provide the media with
information on the progress of the response. (D214.2.w2)

At media briefings it may be best to have several people present who
have between them the expertise to answer possible questions on
conservation, animal biology, animal welfare etc.. (D60.8.w8)

To avoid confusion and misunderstandings, it may be best to request
volunteers not to talk to the media except for simple descriptions of
the work they are doing. (D60.8.w8)

Note: media tend to seek a variety of views and look for
differences of opinion. (D214.3.w3)

A report, summarising the oiled wildlife response effort, should be
produced after the response is completed; this should include thanks
to all those who assisted by volunteering or donating, and should be
sent to the media (as well as to volunteers and donors). (D32.2.w2)